Director, Licensed Product

Abercrombie & Fitch Co.; Columbus (OH); On-site; USD 100,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Incentive bonus program

Flexible spending accounts

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

Paid parental and adoption leave

Work from anywhere days

Merchandise discounts

Job summary

Abercrombie & Fitch Co. is seeking a Director of Licensed Products in Columbus, Ohio. This strategic role requires a leader to manage the global licensing strategy, develop partnerships, and oversee financial performance in the fashion industry. Ideal candidates will have over 10 years of experience and skills in negotiation, project management, and communication. The position is based at the Global Home Office, offering an inclusive environment and benefits that prioritize employee well-being.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in merchandising, product development, or brand management in fashion or luxury goods.
• Exceptional financial fluency including understanding P&L and negotiating royalties.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and navigate challenges effectively.

Responsibilities

• Execute the long-term global licensing strategy.
• Identify and negotiate partnerships with licensees.
• Oversee financial performance of licensed products.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Strong communication skills

Negotiation skills

Entrepreneurial spirit

Leadership ability

Project management

Education

Bachelor's Degree or related experience

Job description

The Director of Licensed Products will be a highly strategic, creative, and commercially minded leader responsible for overseeing all aspects of Abercrombie and Fitch licensed product categories globally. They will lead the company’s licensing strategy, driving growth across multiple product categories and markets.

This role sits at the intersection of Brand, Product, Merchandising, and Finance, requiring a blend of creative vision and business acumen. This person will need to be a strong strategy driver and relationship builder, developing a business plan with internal leaders. They will work with leadership across a breadth of cross functional teams including Merchandising, Sourcing, Design/Tech Design, Corporate Strategy, Finance, and Legal.

They will lead the search for new partners and maintain relationships with current partners through negotiation of new, existing, and renewed contracts. This role supports both Regional teams and Global Brand leadership to ensure proper brand positioning within Licensing.

The ideal candidate is strategic, self-motivated, highly organized, and has strong communication skills. They are solution-oriented, able to manage multiple projects at a time, and able to navigate new and unknown problems by helping to set new standards.

This job is located at our Global Home Office in Columbus, Ohio.

What Will You Be Doing?

• Execute the long-term global licensing strategy, identifying opportunities for category expansion and new partnerships that align with ANF Co’s brand vision and growth targets
• Create, implement, and integrate key licensing growth strategies into core A&F Co. branded processes
• Identify, negotiate, and manage partnerships with new and existing licensees
• Lead a small team responsible for maintaining multiple categories and partnerships
• Assess, report out on, and adapt to business results versus expectations
• Manage a brand's creative integrity while delivering strong commercial results.
• Manage the end-to-end process of licensing projects, from concept to launch. Coordinate with internal teams and external partners to ensure timely delivery.
• Oversee the financial performance of all licensed products, including managing royalty revenue streams, providing financial forecasts, and conducting in-depth quarterly business reviews (QBRs) to ensure targets are met or exceeded.
• Calendar Management: Coordinate the product development and go-to-market calendar for licensed categories, coordinating timelines between internal teams (Design, Marketing, Sales) and external licenses.
• Understand the competitive landscape. Conduct in depth analysis on industry developments; benchmark competitors for processes and assortment
• Leverage new and growing partnerships to expand departmental licensing offering
• Review requests from Licensees for expanded distribution and make recommendations to Licensing VP for approval
• Partner with Regional buying teams to communicate products needed by license in upcoming seasons

What Do You Need To Bring?

• Bachelor’s Degree or related experience
• Passion for leading, negotiating and structuring licensed partnerships
• 10+ years of progressive experience in merchandising, product development, or brand management within the fashion, apparel, or luxury goods industry, with a significant focus on licensed products preferred.
• Exceptional financial fluency including understanding a P&L, negotiating royalties, and building financial forecasts.
• Entrepreneurial spirit with ability to handle significant responsibility
• Highly organized and detail oriented
• Ability to think and react in a high-energy, fast-paced environment. Flexibility with evolving priorities
• Excellent communication, presentation, and negotiation skills, with the ability to influence both internal stakeholders and external partners at an executive level
• Proven leadership track record

Our Company

Abercrombie & Fitch Co. is a global, digitally led omnichannel specialty retailer of apparel and accessories catering to kids through millennials with assortments curated for their specific lifestyle needs.

The company operates a family of brands, including Abercrombie & Fitch, YPB, abercrombie kids, Hollister and Gilly Hicks, each sharing a commitment to offer products of enduring quality and exceptional comfort that support global customers on their journey to being and becoming who they are. Abercrombie & Fitch Co. operates over 750 stores under these brands across North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East, as well as the e-commerce sites abercrombie.com, abercrombiekids.com, and hollisterco.com.

At Abercrombie & Fitch Co., we lead with purpose and always put our people first. We’re proud to offer equitable compensation and benefits, including flexibility and competitive Paid Time Off, as well as education and engagement events, including various Associate Resource Groups, volunteer opportunities and additional time off to give back to our global communities.

Benefits & Perks

• Incentive bonus program
• Annual companywide review process
• Flexible spending accounts
• Medical, dental and vision insurance
• Life and disability insurance
• Associate assistance program
• Paid parental and adoption leave
• Access to fertility and adoption benefits through Carrot
• Access to mental health and wellness app, Headspace
• Paid time off and one paid volunteer day per year, allowing you to give back to your community
• Work from anywhere (Mondays and Fridays are 'work from anywhere' days for most roles and six work from anywhere weeks per year)
• Seven associate wellness half days per year
• Merchandise discount on all of our brands
• Opportunities for career advancement, we believe in promoting from within
• Access to multiple Associate Resource Groups
• Global team of people who will celebrate you for being YOU!